Kimberly was diagnosed at the age of three with idiopathic syringomyelia. She underwent a major surgery to have a syrinx shunt placed in 1999 but her relief was short lived. After consulting with a more experienced neurosurgeon, the family learned that Kimberly actually had Chiari malformation and a tethered cord which were the cause of her syrinx. Once these conditions were treated, her syrinx decreased significantly. Kimberly has a VP shunt for pseudotumor cerebri and she has been diagnosed with osteoporosis and Ehler-Danlos syndrome. She lives with chronic leg pain and uses a wheel chair to get around more comfortably. Her life changed dramatically in 2005 when she got her assistance dog, Lace. Listen to Kimberly describe how Lace has helped her.

[flashvideo file=/videos/interview-4-4.flv image=/videos/interview-4.jpg /]